In the Florida Everglades, wildlife contractor Thomas Aycock hunts invasive Burmese pythons during the dewy late-night hours, when the snakes are most active. Aycock has been hunting these pythons for 11 years and participates in the annual Florida Python Challenge, which aims to control the population of these invasive predators. The competition attracts hundreds of hunters each year, offering a grand prize of $10,000 to the person who humanely kills the most pythons. This year, more than 600 hunters participated in the challenge, hoping to top the previous year’s total of 209 pythons killed.
Burmese pythons are a major threat to Florida’s native wildlife, with their presence causing a decline in populations of animals like raccoons, opossums, and bobcats. These snakes are difficult to spot in the wild, and their numbers are estimated in the tens of thousands by the United States Geological Survey. To combat this invasive species, Florida has been employing over 100 contractors since 2017 to round up pythons year-round. These contractors, like Aycock, are paid hourly wages along with compensation for each snake they capture.
For Aycock, catching pythons is a passion driven by his love for snakes and his dedication to preserving the Everglades ecosystem. He often works with the Swamp Apes, a veterans therapy nonprofit that focuses on environmental preservation, to catch invasive snakes and maintain the wetlands. The group, founded by Tom Rahill, has a deep knowledge of the swamp and uses various methods to catch the pythons, which can grow up to 17 feet in length. While some hunters use tools like snake hooks, others, like Rahill, prefer to handle the snakes with their hands if they are docile enough.
Capturing Burmese pythons is a hands-on exercise for these hunters, as Florida prohibits the use of firearms to kill the snakes. Once a snake is caught, it must be delivered to the wildlife agency within 24 hours for euthanization. Aycock admits that the part of his job he hates the most is having to kill the snakes, but understands the necessity of controlling their population. On a lucky night, hunters like Aycock experience an adrenaline rush when spotting a python in the wild, knowing they are working towards preserving Florida’s delicate ecosystem from the invasive species. Despite the challenges, these dedicated individuals continue their work to protect the native wildlife of the Everglades.
